Cleaning Earlex

[Bob Cooper]

So i'm at a woodworking show this past weekend and spent some time talking to an Earlex rep and trying out the sprayer. I really liked it and bought it. The rep said the following regarding cleaning and i'd like some other opinions:

To clean it, all you need to do is clean the bucket out really well, then fill it with 3/4" of solvent, and spray if for 30 seconds.
Then pull the needle out from the back, wipe it off and put it back in.
Your done.
His general opinion is that you never take a gun apart -- apart from pulling the needle i guess -- if it's operating poperly.

So when i get home, being the anal guy i am i pull out the book and read what it said about cleaning. It says to pretty much totally disassemble everything every single time you use it.

So what do you guys do? i'd like to use this thing a lot but i really would rather not spend a half an hour cleaning it everytime.

[david brum]

I recently talked to a pro who told me he just sprays solvent through the gun until the spray comes out clean. Whenever I've tried that, the gun won't work properly the next time I use it. Then it takes much longer to clean up the dried finish inside the gun. These days, I totally clean everything right after I use it. It goes quickly after you've done it a few times.

[Clint Olver]

I only disassemble and clean the whole thing when the project is done, or I'm spraying a different finish. At the end of the day, if I'm spraying again the next day, I just do what the rep said.

C

[John Gregory]

I agree with Clint. I have the Earlex 5000 and it is so easy to clean when the finish is fresh.

[John Coloccia]

I don't have that system, but back when I was spraying stuff all I ever did was spray solvent until it came out clean. I mean really clean. I think most people stop spraying too soon. I was spraying an Akzo-Nobel 2 part, fluid resistant epoxy primer so the gun really needed to be sparkly clean after every use or you could just toss it in the trash.

[Jesse Tutterrow]

I use a two part cleaning system on my Earlex. I normally spray lacquer

Between coats, on the same day:
use thinner to clean the cup - fill about 1/4 to 1/5 full and then cover top and shake swish to get any lacquer out. Dump this out
use thinner to clean the gun - fill cup about 1/2 full the install on gun. spray into a bucket till empty. save this and use it for the above step next time
run air thru gun for a couple of minutes

At the end of the project or day:
do above
take needle, spring, screw adjustment knob and nozzle out and soak in _clean_ thinner. I will leave this overnight if I know that I will need it the next day.
wipe down outside of gun
if I don't plan to use the gun for some time, the next day I will take the items out of the clean thinner and let them air dry and reinstall in gun.

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On the other hand, I was speaking with a gentleman at The Woodworking Shows that does professional finishing and he told me that between coats he did nothing with lacquer, and only sprayed thinner thru gun when he was done with a project or changing materials. His reasoning was that lacquer would dissolve any already dried lacquer in the gun.

[Steven Hsieh]

For new guns, use solvents like acetone
It will clean the manufacture grease and crap.

[Steven Hsieh]

His general opinion is that you never take a gun apart -- apart from pulling the needle i guess -- if it's operating poperly.



You got to be kidding me. What a great way to ruin a gun.

ALWAYS clean your gun after your done using it.

[Bob Cooper]

thanks...took me a minute to re-locate my post as it got moved. I appreciate all your comments. I'll mostly be spraying oil based poly and i'm looking forward to trying this sprayer out.

[Scott Holmes]

I hope you have a spray booth... Spraying an oil based varnish makes a real mess on everything in and near the shop. Over spray stays airborne then settles and dries to a crusty mess.

[Bob Cooper]

well my spray booth right now is 2 air filters taped together serving as a v-backdrop.

[Scott Holmes]

You are going to have a sticky mess on anything that is within 5 feet of where you are spraying.

[Frederick Rowe]

Disassemble the gun, and clean it with the appropriate solvent. That doesn't mean immersing it in solvent. Get a lab squeeze bottle that will dispense a fine stream. Gun cleaning brushes work great. Scrub till clean - won't take long. Let dry on a rag, reassemble when dry.

[Tony Bilello]

You are going to have a sticky mess on anything that is within 5 feet of where you are spraying.

Oh yeahhhhhhhhh !!!!